Kapadia for review of Delhi High Court move on five new judges

New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) A Supreme Court panel of judges headed by Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia has asked the Delhi High Court’s panel on judicial appointments to review its recent recommendation for appointment of five high court lawyers as judges. A senior law ministry official told IANS Tuesday that the apex court’s five-judge panel, also known as the collegium, pointed out some inherent problem with the proposal sent by the high court for appointment of the lawyers as judges.

“To begin with, one of the woman lawyers, Meenakshi Arora, whose name was recommended for appointment had withdrawn her consent for the same,” said the official.

Asked if she had withdrawn her consent for appointment as a high court judge, Arora, an expert on constitutional law, said: “I have.” She however, did not elaborate on the the reasons for her decision.

Law ministry officials said there were other problems with the appointment proposal as well.

Firstly, the proposal had been sent by the high court’s panel, headed by its former chief Justice A.P. Shah, and that too, shortly before his retirement, said the official.

The new Chief Justice of India wanted the new and present Delhi High Court’s Chief Justice Dipak Misra to approve the proposal, the official said.

The five lawyers associated with the Delhi High Court Bar Association and whose names were recommended for appointment by the high court’s panel headed by former chief justice Shah are: Abhinav Vasisht, Rajiv Virmani, Anusuya Salwan, Meenakshi Arora and Maninder Acharya.